Jaguar F-Type: confirmed

Jaguar F-Type confirmed for production; world asks 'what took you so long?'

Jaguar has finally confirmed that the long-awaited F-Type will make production. The announcement has been made at the New York show, where Jaguar Global Brand Director Adrian Hallmark confirmed that the car previously known as C-X16 will, come the autumn, be shown in final production form and named the F-Type with sales to start next year.

C-X16 loses roof, gains F-Type name

About bloody time too!

Rumours of a sportier, Porsche-rivalling Jaguar have been doing the rounds for years - since the late 80s in fact. That project was an ill-fated successor to the XJ-S and, since then there have perioducally been concept cars and rumours reviving the idea of a small sports car, invariably dubbed 'F-Type' by someone. Almost exactly 10 years ago we ran a story saying 'F-Type delayed' and, while most times it's nice to be proved right, nobody could have predicted that delay would stretch to a decade!

The F-Type label of course carries huge emotional baggage for Jaguar - cue the 'spiritual successor to the E-Type' headlines - and Jaguar accepts that this is "a market segment that we have been absent from for too long." Hallmark says "the core appeal of Jaguar's cars is their sporting heart and that heart will beat stronger than ever before in the F-Type."

Test programme now shifts to the road

A more measured view - he's been taking his time over it after all - can be found from design boss Ian Callum, who's mused several times over the years on what the F-Type should be. Discussing the C-X16 concept on PH last year, Callum recognised that the car would need a harder sporting edge. Later in the year PH joined Callum for a talk where he acknowledged that the E-Type's legacy was "a cloud over his head" but hinted that light weight and agility were, perhaps, of greater relevance for future Jaguar sports cars than outright top speedbragging rights.

Hard facts? Limited so far, but the pre-show release boasts that the F-Type will launch not as a C-X16 style coupe but as a convertible "utilising Jaguar's industry leading knowledge of all-aluminium construction." It goes on to say, "A range of petrol engines will be available - including a new powerplant family - and all will deliver stunning sports car performance."

Compact size and low weight promised

So will it get the full-monty, KERS-enhanced 475hp promised when the C-X16concept was first shown last year? To be confirmed, but the heart of the F-Type is more likely to be rather more conventional and based on a V6 version of Jaguar's AJ-V8, possibly supercharged to 380hp if it makes good on Jaguar's promises for the petrol-powered half of the C-X16's hybrid powertrain.

According to the release, the F-Type's development schedule has now moved to on-road testing so if you live anywhere near Jaguar's Castle Bromwich plant where the car will eventually be built expect to see stickered-up prototypes like the one in the pictures in your area soon.

Full technical details will be released later in the year and, after keeping us waiting more than long enough, now we really can't wait!

it will be beautiful inside and out, and it will focus on being lightweight. it will be rear drive. anybody who doesn't like the idea of this shouldn't even like any cars. I hope this is the epitome of a sports car. This and the toyota gt86 are on my wishlist more than any other car right now

Am I right in saying that the 80's F-Type ended up becoming the DB7 in the end? At least in parts?

Anyway, certainly good for a Jag to actually get confirmed rather than the dozen concepts they seem to produce every month that never make it to production, like the afore mentioned XK180 Looking past the camouflage it looks like a decent shape too though Jags of late have been rather easy on the eye (bar perhaps the XJ). Guess it'll be to the XK what the Vantage is to the DB9, looking forward to seeing the un-camo'd pics

it will be beautiful inside and out, and it will focus on being lightweight. it will be rear drive. anybody who doesn't like the idea of this shouldn't even like any cars. I hope this is the epitome of a sports car. This and the toyota gt86 are on my wishlist more than any other car right now

I do like the idea of this but I wonder how far the the car will end up from the concept shown at Goodwood, FoS in 2000 I think it was. That was sculpture

No. F-type never made it off the drawing board. When it was shelved, there were debates over whether it would be front, or mid-engined.

DB7 was based on an XJ-S floorpan and running gear and I6 engine.

Yeah, knew bits of the XJ-S had been employed but was sure bits from the concept had been used somewhere. Think this the article that lead me to believe that (mentioned at the tail end of it)... http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/2011/07/23/concept... ...but obviously the internet isn't infallible

There were loads of folks (including me) offering significant cheques of deposit to the people on the Jaguar stand when that little beauty was first revealed at the Motor Show about 15 years or so ago now. They knew they were onto a winner but the money men at HQ didn't agree and it was buried and then resurected on a 5 year cycle with the same public response........."bloody well build it and we'll form a long queue to buy it".

All depends on the pricing points and performance now. If they can give 350bhp as base and 450bhp or more (please put a blower on it) at "R" spec and keep the price between high 40's and high 50's I think Porsche will feel a draft.